Just a Little
by Dean'sNerdyAngel
Summary: Jonathan comforts his son after the events of "Talisman". Father/son comfort.


There was no such thing as no fear. Even the strongest man on Earth, an alien, really, feared. He feared everyday. That someone would expose him, or just plain find out the truth of his origins and powers. The super speed, strength, hearing, and the X-ray vision and heat vision, not to mention the invulnerability there was not one day when Clark Kent didn't worry.

But the fear of dying, that was something that everyone was scared of. Even Clark was terrified. Because of all the amazing things that he could do, there was one thing that could kill Clark: meteor rocks. The green radioactive pieces of his home planet, Krypton, was the only thing that could kill him. It didn't just make him sick, didn't just hurt him, but his one vulnerability killed him with a short matter of time.

So it makes one worry when you realize that's not the only thing that could hurt you. Especially when it was almost too late to realize that there was something else out there that could penetrate your skin. Jeremiah Holdsclaw, a native of the Kawatchee tribe, had thought of himself as the true Naman of the cave walls.

Clark hadn't come close to claiming that he was Naman, even if the paintings represented him and where he came from. But the delusional Jeremiah had somehow come across a Kryptonian blade, unluckily for Clark. And in one moment of weakness, Clark had put his guard down while seeing if Jeremiah had his weakness.

Those moments of bad luck had caused him to be stabbed right below the sternum. Of course Jeremiah had left him to bleed, and Clark had been left to crawl to the house, to find a phone. Unfortunately for him, his parents were out, and since he had passed out before he could call his parents, that was when real terror kicked in.

He was going to die.

"_Kal-El…"_

_It was dark. Crystals glittered in the distance, but Clark didn't see. He saw a beautiful blonde woman and a dark-haired man._

_The man's face was sad. The woman, who Clark recognized as Lara, was crying. Clark remembered this memory. He was baby…_

_They were placing him into a dark shell…_

_He was scared. _

_Terrified. _

_And then the dark shell closed and he was floating in the stars, hearing the screams of his home planet._

"_Why did you get to survive, Kal-El? Why did you get to live, leaving us to die? Why do you deserve a second chance?"_

Clark's eyes shot open. The same nightmare had been replaying in his head all through the night, and his ears rang with screams. Desperate, dying screams. He panted, wincing at the sharp pain in his upper stomach. The scar was tender and occasionally it twisted his whole stomach into a fit of pain and coughing, nausea building.

He hated it, and would be thrilled for the healing wound to pass. He was in his loft, and his eyes trailed over to the blood on the floor. Once he'd saved Lionel, he'd passed out on the couch immediately after.

Eventually he'd have to clean it up, specifically before his mother saw it. She'd seen enough of his blood lying around.

Running a hand through his dark hair, he sighed and closed his eyes, too tired to get up. It was one of those times when the emotional and mental stress of his life was getting to him, disrupting the way things he used to hope to be.

Like with Lana.

He rubbed his temples, thinking of his relationship with Lana, and he didn't notice his father come up to the loft.

"We were wondering if you were ever going to wake up."

Clark's mind flashed to that morning when he'd woken up to his parent's concerned faces. So much fear in their eyes.

"It couldn't have been that long." Clark muttered.

"I don't know, 4 hours is a long nap." Jonathan said, coming over to Clark and sitting on the couch. Clark, with a small groan, sat up.

"Does it still hurt?"

"A little."

There was silence. Clark knew his father could tell something was troubling him.

"Dad, I'm sorry." Clark said softly.

"For what, son? Getting stabbed? That wasn't your fault. Not even a little bit." Jonathan reassured his son, laying a hand on his shoulder.

"I should've…I should've been more careful! I…I could've prevented it from happening! And you and mom wouldn't have had to see me lying unconscious on the floor bleeding to death!" Clark said, trying to shield his tears of anguish by pretending he was frustrated and angry.

"Clark…" Jonathan began. "I know you. That's not why you're acting like this, son. You can tell me. You know you can; me and your mother, we will love you no less. You got that?" Jonathan said, gripping his son's shoulders.

Clark couldn't hold back that the tears that started to fall from his eyes and down his cheeks. "I was so scared. I thought…I thought I was going to lose everything. You, mom, Chloe, Pete, Lex…Lana. Everyone. I thought I was going to die. I have never been so scared of dying, and it makes me feel like a coward."

Sobs started to shake his body, and Jonathan held his son tightly to him as he cried, rubbing his back and whispering, "Its okay, its okay."

"Clark, you may have some weak moments, but every living being does, alien or not. You are NOT a coward. That much I know for a fact. No matter what, you will always be the brave man who pulls family and strangers out a of a fire daily. You're my brave son." Jonathan said, cupping Clark's head.

"I know. I'm sorry. I feel…I feel like my existence is a mistake. I'm supposed to be dead. I was supposed to die along with the rest of my planet, but…why me? Why did I get a second chance? So I could conquer the Earth? So I can hurt everyone I love?" Clark said desperately.

"No. Jor-El may be a monster, but he still cares about you, no matter what he thinks your destiny is. Clark, your existence is our blessing. A lot of people may have died if it weren't for you." Jonathan kept going before Clark could protest, "the meteor shower was caused by whatever caused your planet to explode. It wasn't you. And me and your mother are so glad that you were the one who found his way to us." Jonathan said firmly but gently.

"Thanks, Dad. I needed that," Clark smiled. "Oh, and…I don't think I can ever forget how lucky I am to have found my way to you and mom, Dad."


End file.
